Twine-holder.



No. 6a|,533. Patented Aug. 27, mol. w. G. EscH.

TWINS HULDEB.

(Application led Mu'. 5, 1901.)

(No Model.)A

/0 F" 9 if gdm @5' "M4/1f" y@ @Houtman UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

WILLIAM G. ESCH, OF MANITOWOC, WISCONSIN.

TWIN E-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming pari'. 0f Letters Patent N0. 681,533, dated August27, 190

Application filed March 5, 1901. Serial No 49,810. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, W'ILLIAM G. ESCE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Manitowoc, in the county of Manitowoc and State ofWisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTwine-Holders; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to twine-holders.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of this characterwhich shall be simple of construction, durable in use, andcornparatively inexpensive of production and which is intended to besecured under a counter or ledge out of the Way or within convenientreach of the salesman and so constructed that while permitting of theready withdrawal of the twine it will prevent said twine from beingunwound by having the loose end of the twine dragged or pulled laterallyby the clerks passing back and forth in the aisle behind the counter.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts,which will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointedout in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a bottom perspective view of afragment of a counter, illustrating the application of my invention.Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View, and Fig. 3 is abottom plan view, ofthe shell removed from its supporting frame or bracket.

Fig. 4. is a fragmentary view illustrating theY manner of connecting thetwo parts of the twine-holding shell.

In the drawings, l denotes a supporting frame or bracket, the sides ofwhich are cut' away, as shown, and the bottom of which isI provided witha longitudinal groove 2. The top 3 is constructed to be attached byanysuitable means to the under side of the counter.

t denotes a spring connected by a strap 5 to the lower wall of thegroove and having its inner end projecting upwardly through an openingin the rear of the wall of the groove and thence forwardly, as'shown at6. The forward end of the spring is provided with a toe 7, whichprojects up through the wall of the groove near its forward end, andwith a linger-piece 8, by means of which the toe may be retracted.

9 denotes a twine-holding shell which consists of two parts havingatelescopic connection, one part being provided with'a lip 10 to engagethe staple ll of the other part and each part being provided withcommunicating twine eyes or openings through which the end of a ball oftwine projects. The lower end of the shell is provided with hollow ribl2, beveled at its rear end and formed in its base near its forward endwith a slot 13 to receive the toe 7. When in place within its supportingframe or bracket, the two parts of the shell are prevented from twistingone with respect tothe other by a pin-and-loop con` nection, and theshell itself is prevented from twisting with respect to the supportingframe or bracket by the hollow rib fitting in the groove of saidbracket. When it is desired to remove the shell for the purpose ofplacing therein a new ball of cord, the free end of the spring or finger8 is depressed. This movement withdraws the toe from engagement with theslot or aperture in 'the hollow rib, and the instant this is done therear inwardly-projecting end of the spring forces the shell outwardly,so that it may be easily removed for refilling.

To prevent the twine from being drawn out of the shell by reason of itsclinging or catching onthe clothing of the salesmen as they pass backand forth along the counter, I provide a novel form of tension device,which consists of a spring-plate 14, which is attached to the lowermosthalf of the shell immediately below the cord eye or opening in the shelland extends up a slight distance above said opening. The extreme upperend of this spring-plate is spaced from the shell, so as to permit ofthe ready withdrawal of the cord in an upward direction, while the sideedges of the plate bend inward toward the shell and gradually approachthe same, so as to gradually diminish the space between the shell andthe plate, whereby should the cord cling or hook to the salesmen as theypass back and forth along the counter it will be drawn down into thecontracted opening between the shell and the plate, and the springaction of said plate will firmly bind it and IOO prevent its withdrawalunless under unusual strain, which of course would cause the cord todetach itself from the saleman, or if securely fastened around a buttonor some part of his garment the salesman would be notifled and given anopportunity to unfasten the cord and prevent it from being dragged alongand needlessly unwound.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction, mode of operation, andadvantages of my invention will be readily understood without requiringa more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and details of construction maybe made within the scope of the invention Without departing from thespirit or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In a twine-holder of the character described, lhe combination with asupporting frame or bracket provided with an aperture, of atwine-holding shell having a registering aperture, and a springconnected to the supporting frame or bracket and provided with a toe toproject through said apertures and to lock said shell in place andhaving one of its ends projecting upwardly at the rear of the shell andbearing against the same so that when the shell is released by thewithdrawal of the toe from engagement therewith, the end of the springwill force said shell slightly outwardly, substantially as set forth.

2. In a twine-holder of the character described, the combination with asupporting frame or bracket provided With a longitudinal groove, of aspring connected to the lower wall of said groove and having a toe whichprojects upwardly through an aperture in the wall of said groove, and ashell provided with a hollow ribformed With an opening to receive thetoe of said sprin g, substantially as Set forth.

3. In a twine-holder, the combination with a two-part shell, one parthaving a cord-eye in its abutting end, of aspring-plate secured to theother part of the shell and projecting in front of. the cord-eye andhaving its upper free end spaced apart and divergent from the other partof said shell, whereby the twine is permitted to be withdrawn throughthe eye in an upward direction and is iirmly engaged by saidspring-plate when drawn in a lateral direction, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

VILLIM G. ESGII.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR G. ENGELBRECHT, CHAs. HOEFNER.

